Drag.



N. S. MONROE.

DRAG. APPLICATION FiLED JULY 17. 1913.

1,176,591. Patented Mar. 21, 1916.

2 SHEETS-SHEET I.

THE COLUMBIA PLANOGRAPH ,co., WASHINGTON. D. c.

N. S. MONROE.

DRAG.

APPLICATION FILED JULY I7, m3.

' 1,176,591. Patented Mar. 21,1916.

2 SHEETS-SHEET 2.

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NATHANIEL S. MONROE, 0F ARTHUR, ILLINOIS.

DRAG.

Application filed July 1'7, 1913.

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, NATHANIEL S. Monnon, a citizen of the United States,residing at Arthur, inthe county of Douglas and State of Illinois, haveinvented certain new and useful Improvements in Drags, of which thefollowing is a specification.

This invention relates to drags adapted to be used'independently or inconnection with road scraping and leveling machines of various types,such, for instance, as the one shown and described in Letters Patent No.1,015,820, issued to me on the 30th day of January, 1912.

One object of the invention is to produce a simple and eflicient dragincluding a scraper whereby the surface of. the road operated upon willbe leveled, surplus dirt moved into ruts and depressions, and the roadsurface be packed and compacted.

A further object ofthe invention is to produce a drag of simple andimproved construction including a pivotally supported drag bar carryinga scraper and which may be variously adjusted with respect to thesurface of the ground and retained at the most effective angle tooperate successfully under existing conditions.

A further obiect of the invention is to produce a simple and efiectivedrag which in its preferred embodiment is constructed mainly of metallicchanneland angle-bars. A further object of the invention is to produce asimple and effective drag which may be readily drawn over the surface ofthe ground to transport it from one place to another, the drag barsbeing provided with rearwardlv extending shoes or runners. A furtherobiect of the invention is to produce a simple and effectiveconstruction whereby two drag bars both connected with superposed framebars may be simultaneously tilted to present their ground engaging facesin a more or less downwardly and rearwardly inclined position.

With these and other ends in view which will readily. appear as thenature of the invention is better understood. the same consists in theimproved construction and novel arran ement and combination of parts iwhich will he hereinafter fullv described and particularly pointed ut inthe claims.

In the accompanying drawin s has been illustra ed a simple and preferredform of theinvention, it being, however, understood Specification ofLetters Patent.

. for operation.

Patented Mar. 21, 1916.

Serial No. 779,440.

that no limitation is necessarily made to the precise structural detailstherein exhibited, but that changes, alterations and modificationswithin the scope of the claims may oe resorted to when desired.

In the drawings,Figure l is a top plan view showing a preferred form ofthe improved drag with the drag bars in position Fig. 2 is alongitudinal sectional view taken on the line 22 in Fig. 1. Fig. 8 is aview in side elevation, showing the drag bars in position for traveling.Fig. 4 is a front elevation. Fig. 5 is a perspective detail view showingone end of the drag to illustrate the manner of constructing andassembling the same. Fig. 6 is a side view illustrating a modifiedconstruction. Fig. 7 is a front view of the said modified construction.

Corresponding parts in the several figures are denoted by likecharacters of reference.

The improved drag in its preferred embodiment comprises front and rearbars l5, 16, said bars being of substantially rectangular cross section,and it being understood that this definition is intended to includechannel bars, as plainly seen in Figs. 1, 2, 3 and 5, where said frontand rear bars have been shown as each consisting of a channelbar of ironor steel and ofsuitable dimensions to give it the requisite weight. Eachof said channel-bars is, moreover. of a width considerably exceeding theheight thereof. Channel-bars having a width of twelve inches and withupstanding flanges four inches in height may be deemed properlyproportioned for the purposes of the invention, butno limitation is madeor intended bevond this that the width should materiallv exceed theheight of the bar so as to form a broad supporting base. Sometimes thedra bars may be bent or shaped to present shallow inverted ii-sha edrecesses in the undersides thereof. as will be best seen in Fig. 4:thisconstruction being prefera ly emplo ed when the drag is to be usedfor crowning roads. hen the drag is to be used for other purposes thebars may be permitted to remain straight and flat on their undersides.

For the purpose of connecting the front and rear drag bars togetherlongitudinal frame bars -17 are employed: in the illust ation theseframe bars have been shown as consisting of L-shaped angle bars. For thepurpose of connecting the frame bars 17 with the front and reardrag-bars, the said drag-bars may be provided with angle lugs 18. 19,bolted or otherwise secured thereto adjacent to the ends thereof. Theangle lugs 19 of the rear drag bar 16 are bolted upon the angle-bars 17in such a manner as to support the said rear bar in a downwardly andrearwardly tilted or inclined position with respect to the frame bar 17,assuming the latter to be horizontally disposed; the lugs 18 adjacent tothe front portion of the front bar 15 are connected with the frame bars17 by pivot members 20, enabling said front bar to be tilted to variouspositions with respect to the frame bars; For the purpose of enablingthe front bar to be tilted to various positions with respect to theframe bars 17, levers 21 are fulcrumed on the said frame bars by meansof pivot members 22; said levers have forwardly extending arms providedwith slots 23 engaging pivot members 24 on the lugs 18 adjacent to therear portion of the front drag bar, which latter by means of said leversmaybe readily tilted about the axis of the pivot members 20. For thepurpose of retaining the levers 21 to secure the drag bar 15 in adjustedposition, arcuate rack bars 25 may be provided, said rack bars beingsecured on the frame bars 17 or on the rear drag bar in any convenientposition. The inherent resiliency of the levers or of the rack bars orof both may be depended upon to retain the parts properly assembled whenthe levers are shifted from one notch to another.

Itwill be understood that while two levers have been shown, one at eachside of the drag, a single lever may be found sufficient to effect thedesired adjustment. In such event, the frame bars 17 may be positionedat or near the medial longitudinal line of the drag, as will bereadilyunder-' stood. in order that excessive strain may be avoided.

Mounted upon the front upstanding flange of the forward drag bar 15 is ascraper blade 26, saidscraper blade being preferably supported forvertical adjustment by means of bolts 27 engaging vertical slots 28therein in order that the scraping" edge may be adjusted vertically withrespect to the drag bar. Each of the drag bars is provided adjacent tothe ends thereof with rearwardlyextending narrow shoes or runners 29 onwhich, when sufliciently' ti.lted, the said drag bars will be supportedfor transportation from place to place.

It will be seen that while the rear drag bar 16 always occupies a tiltedposition with respect to the surface of the ground, the front drag barmay be supported lIl a horizontal posltion or at var1ous 1ncl1nat1ons toenable the scraper blade to bite into the ground to the desired extent.The result of the operation of the machine when dragged over the groundwith the scraper blade in ground engaging position will be for thescraper blade to shave off the surface mate rial which, in 'endeavoringto escape, will serve to fill up ruts and depressions; as the materialpasses beneath the scraper, the gradual incline of the drag bar whichhas been adjusted to the most eflective position will enable said dragbar to effectively crush the clods and level the surface which isfinally smoothed and compacted by theaction of the rear drag bar.

The runners 29 extend rearwardly from the drag bars adjacent to the endsof the latter. It will be seen that when the lever 21 is actuated forthe purpose of tilting the front drag bar, the latter will rock on therunners 29, and its forward portion will be lifted, thereby lifting'theforwardends of the frame bars 17 with which the rearward drag bar isrigidly connected, and thus tip ping or tilting the said rearward dragbar" on its runners 29, the tilting motion of the two drag bars beingsubstantially the same.

Proper adjustment may thus be effected, not only to tilt the two dragbars to the'most effective working position, but by continuing thetilting movement the said drag bars may be both liftedbodily from theground, together with the superposed frame and be supported on therunners alone for convenient transportation fromplace to place.

It will be particularly noticed that in this implement the front andrear drag bars, when adjustment is made, will both be tilted in the samedirection. This is due to the fact that the longitudinal frame bars arerigidly connected with the rear drag bar, said longitudinal frame barsbeing pivotally connected with the forward portion of the front dragbar. Hence, when the latter is tilted to throw its forward portion in anupward direction, the forward ends of the longitudinal frame bars arelifted, thereby tilting'the forward portion of the rear drag bar in anupward direction, This is extremely important in order that both dragbars may be maintained with their forward portions tilted upwardlysovthat the ground engaging lower faces of both drag bars may act with asmoothing or troweling action with respect to the surface'of theground."

l/Vhile in the preferred construction of this device,metallicchannel-bars are utilized for the drag bars, no limitation isintended in thls respect, and in Figs. 6 and 7 the drag bars have beenshownas consisting of ordinary planks of suitable dimensions; it beingstill understood that the width of the drag bars is to be materially" inexcess ofthe height. In this form ofembodimentof the invention, theframe bars 17, which have still been shown as consisting'of angle-bars,may

'be connected with lugs, here designated by 18' and 19, which aresecured on the' drag bars, here designated by 15 and 16, by means ofscrews or bolts 30. The drag bars have been shown as having straightfiat under faces, but the construction is in other respects similar tothat previously described. It may also here be stated that the anglelugs 18, 19, 18 and 19 which have been shown in the various forms of theinvention for the purpose of connecting and assembling the parts may bereplaced by other forms of connecting members without departing from thescope of the invention.

The improved drag in its various forms has been found to be extremelyuseful and serviceable for the purpose of scraping and leveling roads inconnection with road leveling machines of the type referred to at theoutset of the specification. The drag has also been found extremelyuseful as a leveler and clod crusher for "eneral purposes. Theconstruction is simp e, and the device is thoroughly efficient for thepurposes for which it is intended.

Having thus described the invention, what is claimed as new, is

1, A device of the class described including front and rear drag bars ofsubstantially rectangular cross section and having fiat relatively widebottom faces, superposed longitudinal frame bars with which the reardrag bar is fixedly connected, and means pivotally connecting the framebars with the forward drag bar above and adjacent to the front face ofsaid bar; and a blade mounted on the front face of the front bar andprojecting below and at an angle to the bottom face of said bar.

2. A device of the class described including front and rear drag bars ofsubstantially rectangular cross section and having flat relatively widebottom faces, superposed longitudinal frame bars with which the one dragbar is movably connected and with which the other drag bar is fixedlyconnected, the means movably connecting the frame bars with the one dragbar being positioned above and adjacent to the front face of such bar,and means for upwardly tilting the front portion of the one drag barfrom its normal position substantially at right angles to the surface ofthe ground, to produce a lifting motion on the forward portion of theother drag bar through the medium of the frame bars.

3. In a device of the class described, front the axis of the pivot meansbeing located above and adjacent to the front face of the forward dragbar, and means whereby the forward drag bar may be tilted with respectto the frame bars and secured at various adjustments.

4. In a device of the class described, front and rear drag bars eachhaving rearwardly extending runners adjacent to the ends thereof,superposed frame bars with which the rearward drag bar is fixedlyconnected, means for pivotally connecting the frame bars with the frontdrag bar above and adj acent to the front face thereof, and meanswhereby the forward drag bar may be tilted to produce a correspondingtilting movement of the rearward drag bar through the medium of theframe bars.

In a device of the class described, front and rear drag bars, eachprovided with rearwardly extending runners adjacent to the ends thereofand each having upwardly extending lugs adjacent to their forward andrearward portions, superposed frame bars rigidly connected with the lugsof the rearward connecting bar to maintain the latter with its bottomface in a downwardly and rearwardly inclined position, pivot membersconnecting the frame bars with the upstanding lugs adjacent to theforward portion of the front drag bar, and tilting means including alever fulcrumed on a frame bar and having a forwardly extending slottedarm, and a pivot member on a lug adjacent to the rearward portion of thefront drag bar in engagement with the slot.

6. In a drag, front and rear drag bars consisting of channel-bars havingrelatively wide bases and upstanding front and rear flanges, angle lugssecured adjacent to the ends of the drag bars, frame bars consisting ofangle-bars extending lengthwise across the drag bars, means connectingthe frame bars with the upstanding lugs of the rear drag bar to supportthe latter in a downwardly and rearwardly inclined position, pivotmembers connecting the frame bars with the angle lugs secured on thefront upstanding fiange of the forward drag bar, levers fulcrumed on theframe bars and having forwardly extending slotted arms pivotallyconnected with the angle lugs secured on the rear flange of the frontdrag bar, and means for securing the levers at various adjustments.

7. A device of the class described including front and rear drag bars ofsubstantially rectangular cross section and having flat relatively widebottom faces, superposed longitudinal frame bars with which one drag baris fixedly connected, pivot means connecting the longitudinal frame barswith the other drag bar, and means for effecting a tilting movement ofthe last mentioned drag bar with respect to the longitudinal frame bars,said pivot means being so arranged In testimony whereof I affix mysignature that tilting nbiovenulapt of the pivotally cogin presence oftwo Witnesses.

nectecl drag ar Wi produce a correspon a ing tilting movement of thefixedly connect- NATHANIEL S"MONROE' ed drag bar; one of said drag barshaving on 'Witnesses:

its front face a blade that projects below and E. W. BOYD,

at an angle to the bottom face of said bar. JAMES E. MORRIS.

Copies of this patent may be obtained for five cents each, by addressingthe Commissioner of Patents, Washington; D. G.

